Altitude

What's there to do on a foggy Sunday afternoon? Hike a mountain, of course. After church, we put on backpacks and warm clothing and ascended a beautiful mountain clothed in mist and beauty. Henry David Thoreau wrote that he went to the wilderness to live deeply. I feel that nature does something to the soul and by spending time outdoors, we make room for God to work in our lives in a unique way.

The ascent was steep and challenging, but the scenery was breathtaking. Enchanting woods. Abandoned buildings. Moss-covered stones. Mountain streams. Things I wish I had taken pictures of, things I wish I had the macro lens for. As I walked, I came up with some things I want to do before I return to school for second semester:

- Read five books
- Read through the New Testament
- Sketch each of the major buildings in the capitol
- Give something away
- Spend quality time with each member of my family
- Watch the sun rise and set

I kid you not, the fog rested like a blanket over the mountains and the valley below. Some scientists insist that mountains were formed from shifts in the tectonic plates, but I believe that God created them intentionally and loves aesthetic disruption in landscapes. The rising and dipping peaks of a mountain range sets awe and longing in the human heart.

There's a quote from somewhere that says, "Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt." Our muscles were aching by the time we reached the pinnacle, mine especially because of training I did with the running club yesterday. When we were descending the mountain, we decided that "Everything was beautiful and everything hurt".